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What I Learned From The Primus Drum Auditions

Nate Smith April 9, 2025

First things first - grab your free transcription here!

The Primus auditions were a niche-international-sensation. Thousands of audition videos from all over the universe were all over social media, featuring at least 3 podcast guests and some of my favorite drummers throwing their hats in the ring for this beloved band.

Over the past few months, the band itself has released edited versions of all the finalists’ auditions, including that of (spoiler alert) eventually “winner” John Hoffman. And podcast guests Thomas Pridgen and Stan Bicknell also did amazing jobs!

The subject of today’s video is primarily what I learned from Thomas’ audition, and in particular from a seemlingly-offhanded comment Les Claypool and Ler LaLonde made about it. Yes, I’m going to tease you, and to find out, you’ll have to watch the video! Sorry!

But I will go into what that comment inspired. Because it turns out it’s a concept I’d been toying with ever since my latest Meinl video came out.

And it has to do with something very fundamental to humans: what makes us Dance.

How do you play an accent pattern on the drums that, in principle at least, sounds more “danceable” than some others. It’s not as easy as it seems, because you’re dealing with improvisation. So it’s a little like “how do you remember this thing in a dream”.

Luckily, I’ve been workshopping this all winter. In the Cave.

And in this video, I’ll also “unveil” some of the latest “8020 sh@#” that’s been working for me and my students.

It all started with something Les said in the Primus auditions. If you’re curious how it all fits together, I invite you to take the ride.

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Nate Smith April 4, 2025

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Every Great Drummer Faces This

Nate Smith April 2, 2025

First things first. Download your free groove transcription here.

Whiplash was unrealistic. I get it.

Not the film I'd necessarily study for my "double time swing". And Andrew Nieman, upon graduation, likely would've been the most "Buddy Rich" bartender in FiDi for a few years.

But did it get some things right? What about the "bloody hands" scene?

Well, I've certainly never iced my hands before a practice session, nor put my hand through a drum head. (At least not an Emperor.)

But I have taken plenty of "hard looks in the mirror". I've found myself lacking in comparison to some bar - intrinsic or extrinsic - and used that rage to power some pretty ADHD practice.

I call it "the cave".

And the more I talk to great drummers - as I'm lucky to be able to for the podcast - the more I realize it's kind of a universal. It's a focused effort on just one thing. It's opening the hood, and letting all the engine parts sit in the driveway until you fix it.

The most common - the type we see in Whiplash - is the "rage cave".

It's not "normal"/"healthy" practice. Its something beyond. It's probably not even the most optimal for mental health, or even skill acquisition!

It may not even be "causal" to great drummers. But it's correlated. It's what's bound to fall out when a burning desire to be better meets cold here reality.

But thats not the only cave. Players like Chris Turner, Madden Klass, and Nathan Schingler have a passion more fueled by love than comparison. Others, like Anika Niles, Stan Bicknell, and Zyck "The Freak" Wyatt have a "discipline cave", that's not fueled by frustration, but harnesses the power of discipline to accomplish goals.

Anyway, in this video, we explore all those types of caves, before finally asking "do you need a cave" to become great?

Know you'll enjoy this one!

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Justin Scott on Hand Technique, Humility in Teaching, and Secrets of Chris Coleman

Nate Smith March 26, 2025

Justin Scott has, for the past several years, been a point-of-reference for hand technique and body mechanics. Which is to say that whenever I’ve wanted a gut-check about whether I’m on the right track with some technique or movement-related thing, I tend to watch Justin.

I’m not alone. Recent podcast guest Yogev Gabay shouted Justin out as helping him with his hands, and podcast guest Brandon Green is collaborating with Justin on instructional materials.

All of mean I was primed-and-ready to pepper Justin (politely) about all things hand technique. What I was not prepared for were the areas in which he surprised me.

For instance, that he feels playing softly is a greater challenge than playing loudly.

Or that there’s no one “right way” to hold the sticks.

As you’ll hear, we spent quite a bit of time unpacking the second of those two assertions.

In addition, Justin dishes about his early influences, and what he learned from Chris Coleman, when, as a young student, he played drums with Chris played bass.

It was a lot of fun chatting with “the hand whsiperer”, and I hope we’ll have a chance for a round-2.

Enjoy!

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